This year’s Lectionary offers us the Gospel of Matthew and the account of the Magi and King Herod upon the birth of Jesus Christ. The Magi wished to visit and honor the newborn King, bringing Him specific gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We know the story of King Herod, a power-hungry king and one who had no use for the baby Jesus and what He represented to humanity—and what that would mean for Herod’s rule, power and pleasure—so Herod wants to “use” the Magi to ascertain the whereabouts of the newborn King in order to put a quick end to His reign, or so Herod thinks.

But the outcome to the story can be “foreseen” in the gifts that the Magi bring for the Christ: gold, frankincense and myrrh—Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. Its value could very well have financed Joseph and Mary’s trip to Egypt. The Bible does not tell us any other significance to these three gifts; however, tradition has it that there is a deeper meaning for each of the three. Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. Pagan idols were often made from gold and the Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:10:17). The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinity—God in flesh.

Frankincense is a white resin or gum. It is obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (Exodus 30:34). Frank-incense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.

Myrrh was also a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was given to our Savior when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (Mark 15:23). Matthew 27:34 refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

As we celebrate the Epiphany (The feast of manifestation, or Epiphany, is traditionally celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.) Divine manifestation: The Epiphany takes its name from the Greek epiphania, which denotes the visit of a god to earth. The first idea of the feast is the manifestation of Christ as the Son of God. "Begotten before the daystar and before all ages, the Lord our Savior is this day made manifest to the world." The feast unites three events in the life of Christ when His divinity, as it were, shines through His humanity: the adoration of the Magi; the baptism of Christ in the Jordan; and the first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana. Moreover, at Epiphany the Church looks forward to the majestic coming of Christ on the "youngest day" when His manifestation as God will be complete. The Gospels of the baptism and the marriage at Cana are read on the Octave Day and the Second Sunday after Epiphany, and later Sunday Masses in the Epiphany season
continue to show the divine power of our Lord in some of His most striking miracles.

One could almost say that the Epiphany season is paired with miracles of the Lord and His Divine power. It might be a great time for all of us to open our eyes and our hearts to the miracles and Divine power of Christ in our own lives, beginning with the Sacraments and ending with prayer life and the whole community in which we share—and look more closely for His miracles. They are all around us…if only we use our “eyes of faith.”